KALAMAZOO -- John Bonham and Dale Brown didn't tell their parents when they enrolled at Western Michigan University in 2003 that their idea of expanding their horizons had little to do with the books.

On their own, they moved to Kalamazoo because "back in the day, there was a good (music) scene," Bonham said, and they both wanted to start a rock band. It didn't take long for the two to meet, and their classes took a backseat. Brown, then 17, sold his dorm meal plan to buy a bass guitar and dropped out of classes halfway through the first semester. Bonham, then 18, pulled off a decent grade-point average, but was unhappy not being able to dedicate more time to their band, Your Best Friend.

"I didn't have any fun being at school instead of being in a rock band," he said.

At the end of the school year, they moved back to the east side of the state, near Saginaw. In retrospect, Bonham jokingly refers to it as the "dark year," but out of it arose their band, which added drummer Nick Edler in May, 2006.

They had met guitarist Steve Sochanek at WMU and, in October 2006, he joined the lineup.

"I don't think the band really got its wings until Steve and Nick joined," Bonham said. "It's good to have four people working toward one goal."

By January 2007, YBF was touring, including hitting Kalamazoo and encouraging people they met during their stint at WMU to come to shows. With a consistent lineup and decent following, YBF turned its attention to a full-length CD.

Last spring, YBF released its self-titled debut and again toured, this time, finally, with something to give to its followers. The album sold more than 1,000 copies in the first three months, a nice response for an independently-released work, Bonham said. The band will return to its birthplace with a show at 10 p.m. today at The Corner Bar, 1030 E. Vine St.

The themes -- loss, alienation, a wrecked friendship, family struggles and internal strife, among others -- often feature vocal work from every member of the band. Everyone contributes to writing and often use the music as a cathartic vehicle.

"When we initially write a song, the reason we're writing it is because we're upset about something or trying to figure something out," Bonham said. "Being able to use it as an outlet and express what we're going through, it gives us a better understanding of what we're going through."

The song "The Path of an Illogical Liar," written by Bonham, is a scathing, scream-fest aimed at a former member of the band. After it was posted online, the bandmate called Bonham.

"He wasn't mad, he just wanted to talk. We figured something out that day, so it was nice to clear the air," Bonham said.

The tone in other songs can also be easily identifiable to fans, too, although they may not know the backstory.

"When people connect with the songs, it's the highest compliment we can receive," Bonham said.